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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23251747">Miraculous Escalation</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FabiusMaximus/pseuds/FabiusMaximus'>FabiusMaximus</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug, Worm - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Crossover</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 16:15:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,401</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23251747</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FabiusMaximus/pseuds/FabiusMaximus</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Skitter is tossed into another world in the aftermath of the battle with Noelle, how will she get back? And how will the light and fluffy world of Miraculous Ladybug deal with Warlord Skitter? the world—and innocent bystanders, wants to know.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>There are some differences here with the canon settings. Mainly, the first two seasons of Miraculous Ladybug took place over roughly two years, and Ladybug and her friends are all about 16 years old now. Season three is heavily altered, most notably regarding Chloe's fate, as she's currently a member in good standing with the team.</p><p>For Skitter, her entry into the Ladybug Paris takes place during the Echidna fight.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>Where Am I?</em> That was my first thought. We’d been fighting Echidna, and someone, one of the out of town capes had fired a bomb at her. It looked almost like a modified version of Bakuda’s weapons. There’d been a twisting sensation… And now I was here.</p>
<p>An alley. Morning. No sound of Endbringer sirens. People walking around, speaking… <em>French?</em></p>
<p>I quietly moved to the end of the alley and looked out. And I saw the Eiffel tower.</p>
<p><em>The fuck?</em> I was in <em>Paris?</em></p>
<p>And it looked normal. Nobody running, nobody watching the TV. I suppose what was happening in the Bay wasn’t important here. I—</p>
<p>“<em>Akuma!” </em>Someone had seen me. But what did Akuma mean? Did I look like some local villain? Now cell phones were ringing, people all over the street pulling them out, staring at me, running.</p>
<p><em>Fuck.</em> I turned and ran back into the alley, hoping to get away before the local version of the PRT showed up. This city was cleaner than the bay, but I gathered every bug I could find. I’d have to contact Tattletale to get out of France, but first I needed to find some civilian clothing—</p>
<p>“Akuma!” That word again.</p>
<p><em>That</em> came from above. I looked up and saw a girl, wearing some kind of spotted uniform. I didn’t recognize her, so she wasn’t a big international player.</p>
<p>Next to her, another figure, this one wearing a… <em>Fetish cat suit?</em> They stared down at me. Said something in French.</p>
<p>“I don’t speak French,” I called.</p>
<p>More jabber and then suddenly they were <em>both</em> diving down towards me.</p>
<p>I jumped back and pulled my baton out. I didn’t know if they were heroes or villains, but without knowing about their powers, I <em>couldn’t</em> hold back. People didn’t tend to go straight for CQC unless they had something, a striker power or just being really strong and hard to hurt, backing them up. I sent every bug I could find after them, gnats, wasps even some bees from a rooftop hive. The red and black parahuman was acting like the leader.</p>
<p>I’d take her out first.</p><hr/>
<p>Marinette dove down for the Akuma. She couldn’t see where she might be holding the corrupted butterfly, but her costume was terrifying enough.</p>
<p>“Let’s get her Milady!” Chat said. “If she doesn’t even speak French…”</p>
<p><em>Yeah, a panicked Akuma that can’t make itself understood. </em>Hawkmoth must have a plan to have gone out of his way to infect a tourist. And while they could both speak English, Marinette didn’t think they could do it fast enough to talk the Akuma down. That was probably part of Hawkmoth’s plan.</p>
<p>Or he was just being a prick.</p>
<p>But the Akuma was acting… <em>strange. </em>Not ranting or raving, just stepping back, pulling a fighting stick from its belt.</p>
<p><em>Maybe I </em><em><b>can</b></em><em> talk to her… </em>Some Akuma’s, very rarely, were calm enough to talk to. “We can help—” Marinette’s poor attempt at English evidently didn’t work. And suddenly Marinette’s face was full of gnats, flying into her nose and mouth. Chat shouted something. But Marinette was focusing on the fact that she couldn’t <em>see</em>. She hit the ground, rolling, and then frantically tried to get the insects out of her face. They were crowding around her eyes and forcing their way into her nose. She had to to—”Lucky ch—ACK!”</p>
<p>Now they swarmed into her mouth, and <em>bees</em> were stinging her tongue and lips, even as flies, gnats, and moths were forcing their way deeper into her throat. Marinette tried to scream but it came out as a choked gurgle.</p>
<p>“Milady! MILADY!” Chat was by her side, then slinging her over his back, but she couldn’t breath, and oh <em>god</em> it hurt, and then he was running <em>away</em> from the Akuma. She wanted to tell him to stop, to fight it, but she couldn’t breath and her vision was going gray and…</p>
<p>Why did it feel like the bugs were forcing their way <em>out</em> of her mouth and nose?</p><hr/>
<p>I moved away as fast as I could. I found an unlocked door into an empty warehouse and quickly entered, remembering to send an order to my bugs to stop choking the parahuman. Her friend had responded quickly. From his voice, he <em>was</em> her friend, not just a partner or associate.</p>
<p>So killing her would be a bad idea. Even if I didn’t want to get the French version of a kill order, there was always the possibility this had just been some kind of misunderstanding. But the first thing I needed to do was to get civilian clothes and find a way to get back in touch with Tattletale.</p><hr/>
<p>Chat swung towards the school. The nurse’s office was just one step short of a ER, especially after the Akuma attacks started, and more importantly, everyone there, even Chloe, loved Ladybug. They wouldn’t let any reporters in if she detransformed.</p>
<p>And he couldn’t take her to a hospital—not with that Akuma lurking about. In over two years, Chat had never <em>seen</em> one of Hawkmoth’s creations act so pragmatically. No ranting, no raving. Just moving right to an attack like it had spend the entire day planning it. If they’d stayed there, he knew one thing.</p>
<p>Ladybug would have died.</p>
<p>No, he couldn’t risk <em>that</em> seeking out its prey in a hospital. At least here, his classmates could <em>leave, </em>unlike people confined to their beds.</p>
<p>And there was the school.</p>
<p>“Just a few more seconds, Milady…” he said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Misunderstandings and Messages</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After the misunderstanding Skitter will immediately work to resolve things, in the calm and reasoned manner Brockton Bay has come to know. </p><p>Oh. Dear.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Nobody was following me as I moved through the building, sending my insects to ensure I’m alone. I set up some black widows in an empty room, and got some of the wasps to start laying more eggs. The city was clean—not as many insects as I expect.</p><p>I’d have to change that. I’d find other places in the city where I can set up breeding centers.</p><p>Which meant that I needed to be able to walk around in public.</p><p>I had got a solution for that. Even the best city had a criminal underworld. I kept to the alleys and sent my bugs out. It didn’t take me long to find a mugger bracing a young woman up against the wall.</p><p>“Don’t give me that—you have more money!” he snarled. In English. The woman must be a tourist.</p><p>It’s then that I form a bug clone behind him. Her eyes go wide, roll up in the sockets and she passed out.</p><p>“You little-”</p><p>
  <b>Stop.</b>
</p><p>He turned, looked at me, his mouth open to threaten me. Then it got bigger as his knife fell from nerveless hands. I raised my “hand” and he stared at the spiders dangling from it and the note they were holding. The spiders were being held aloft by some of my bees, the strands connected to the insects, but he couldn’t see that. In unison, the spiders raised their forelegs.</p><p><b>There’s a woman’s store a block away. Go there. Buy the following clothes. </b>I flicked my “hand” and a dozen spiders landed him, burrowing under his clothes. He whimpered as he reached down for the note. <b>Don’t piss yourself. If you do what I say, you won’t be hurt. Disobey… </b>Another whimper. <b>When you come back, give me all of your money you have left. You can leave the city or turn yourself in after that. Your choice. </b></p><p>He scrambled off, already failing to follow one of my orders. I hoped nobody noticed the scent of urine. Moment’s later, he was back, putting down a bag of clothes in front of me and practically throwing the wallet down. Then he was gone, and I came out of the hiding place I’d secured.</p><p>The clothes were high quality, my size, and it didn’t take long for me to put them on. The grime from the fight was a bit harder, but now that I had cash—a fair amount in fact—I could find myself a cheap hostel. I kept some of my bugs watching the woman, but she was gradually waking up.</p><p>
  <em>Fine. I don’t need to do anything. Now to find a place to hide, and then find out what the hell is going on.</em>
</p><hr/><p>The nurse didn’t pause when Chat came in holding Ladybug. She tossed the other students out, closed the door. “Akuma?”</p><p>“I don’t know!” Chat said. “It wasn’t like any Akuma we’ve seen—”</p><p>“What happened to her face?” Ladybug was starting to wheeze, her face puffing up.</p><p>“The akuma used bugs, bees…”</p><p>“Oh. Shit.” The nurse ran to a cabinet, pulling out an injector. “She’s either allergic or had an overdose. We have to get her to the hospital!” She jammed the injector into the shuddering girl’s body, and started trying to extract the remains of the Akuma’s attack from her mouth. Chat held her mouth open, but looked up at the Nurse.</p><p>“We can’t. The Akuma—”</p><p>“An allergic reaction is <em>life-threatening</em>, Chat Noir. We have to get…”</p><p>“Mr…” Ladybug coughed, the crushed remnants of spiders, moths, and bees, coming out of her mouth. She gripped her yo-yo, and then finally spoke again. “Miraculous—ladybug!”</p><p>The throw was more like a weak toss, but the spray of ladybugs appeared, this time only covering their master. Moments later, Ladybug looked… normal, even if her face was pale. “Chat…” She said, getting off the gurney and looking at herself. Her legs went out from under her and Chat barely got her before she hit the ground.</p><p>“Milady! I thought the cure would—”</p><p>“I’ll leave the office and lock the door,” the nurse said.</p><p>Moments later, they were alone, Ladybug’s earrings starting their countdown. “I’m sorry, Chat,” she said. “I’m just… shook up.”</p><p>“What… what <em>was</em> that?” Chat finally asked.</p><p>“I…” Ladybug coughed. “I don’t know. It wasn’t… Like an Akuma. I looked into its eyes and there wasn’t… <em>any</em> emotion there.” She put her hands around her body. “I’ve never felt anything like it.”</p><p>“We’ll get it.”</p><p>“I hope so,” Ladybug said. “But we’ll need to get filter masks.”</p><p>“Milady?”</p><p>“The bugs got me when I tried to call for my lucky charm. We have to <em>talk</em> to use our abilities and if we open our mouths…”</p><p>“Yeah. I have some.”</p><p>“So do I.” The earrings beeped again. “Let’s go,” she said. “We have to leave the school before I detransform.”</p><p>Moments later, Chat watched as Ladybug swung away. He found a nook on a roof and detransformed himself.</p><p>“Hey Plagg.” Chat said. “Cheese later, but I gotta question for you. Is there a way to cataclysm a bunch of <em>little</em> things at once?”</p><hr/><p>Finding a place to eat had been easy and Paris had a million Internet cafes that catered to clueless American tourists and students. As I sat at one, I marveled at how <em>different</em> this world was. No gangs. No places where buildings had been reduced to rubble by brawling superhumans. No endbringer shelters.</p><p>If anything, Paris seemed to be known as one of the only cities where parahumans were a <em>thing.</em></p><p>And the browser showed me just what the city was facing. Akumas, people who were possessed by Hawkmoth. Some kind of <em>very</em> powerful Trump/Master. There was a lot of information, including information on how to avoid being “akumaized.”</p><p>He’d have to be powerful, because his minions were nightmares. I called up a video of “Darkblade,” a person filming a rolling wall of darkness that converted everyone—everyone into knights, complete with armor and weapons and utterly at his service.</p><p>Paris had <em>millions</em> of people in it. No other parahumans but…</p><p>
  <em>Even if it only impacts regular people, that’s a Class S all by itself. If it could control parahumans…</em>
</p><p>Alexandria, Eidolon, Lung… That was an endbringer level threat right there, and he wasn’t the only one.</p><p>The only weakness was that the Akuma’s seemed to keep their own irrational drives-Hawkmoth couldn’t puppet them, even if he could influence them. They also all had some object where the symbol of his power, the butterfly stayed. Break it, and they lost their power and Ladybug had some trump ability to purify it—and repair the damage done.</p><p><em>All</em> the damage.</p><p>I leaned back. I was actually trembling. The power of Hawkmoth—with a power like that we could fight off the Endbringers—maybe even forestall Dinah’s prediction of the end of the world. Maybe that’s why I was here…</p><p>With the Ladybug Miraculous, we could restore the damage of Endbringer assaults…</p><p>With Chat Noir’s cataclysm, we might be able to <em>kill</em> the Endbringers.</p><p>And they all seemed to be associated with some device or tool, these Miraculouses, or at least that was everyone’s guess given how often the Akuma stomped around demanding that Ladybug and Chat Noir “give” them their miraculouses. Given that the other parahumans had appeared later, and were working with the older ones, I assumed that they were probably also using some object.</p><p>And I’d attacked Ladybug.</p><p>Damn. It.</p><p>I had to find a way to get in contact with her, but she’d probably be hostile. And given their powers, I couldn’t risk getting into a fight on their terms. Nobody knew how to contact Hawkmoth, and he didn’t have any real pattern to his Akuma’s save being more common around a high school. If tension and anger were a route to being akumaized that made sense. More importantly, this <em>wasn’t </em>the Bay, where E88 and ABB gangers could stroll around Winslow on recruiting gigs. The police here might not be able to handle Hawkmoth, but they’d probably be very aware of people lurking around or investigating a high school. Better hold that for the last resort.</p><p>But I had another option…</p><p>“Hey everyone! This is Alya with the Ladyblog!” The girl on the window was smiling. “And I have some news! Ladybug and Chat Noir were seen coming to our very own school. They’d fought a monster that was a different type of Akuma, but as usual, they won! Just in case you were worried, here’s a picture of them patrolling Paris the night after!” And true to her word, there they were.</p><p><em>PR. She’s their PR woman.</em> I quickly went through her blog and found that she had interviewed Ladybug. It was a choice between her and the only public hero—a girl named Chloe, but I decided on Alya. She <em>wasn’t</em> a hero, and so I wouldn’t be risking a fight, and better yet, if she contacted Ladybug—well, I would know. Even better, her blog was bilingual, both written and spoken. She spoke English. Fluently.</p><p>Perfect.</p><hr/><p> </p><p>Alya sighed in bed, turning over, thinking of tomorrow. Her and Nino were going to have a date and then see if Marinette was over that unexpected flu that had forced her to leave school. In fact she could…</p><p>“Alya Césaire.” She blinked. The voice wasn’t her mother, and why would her mother use both of her names. It sounded buzzing and… She opened her eyes, looking out into the room, reaching out with one hand to grab her glasses while she turned the lights on with another. There seemed to be…</p><p>Then the lights came on, and Alya squeaked in horror, pushing herself up against the headboard.</p><p>The… <em>thin</em>g was roughly human sized and shaped, but was… it was made of bugs. Wasps, bees, flies, all flew together in formation, and when it spoke it was in an eerie chorus of buzzing sounds that somehow came together to make words.</p><p>Alya had seen Akuma. She’d fought Akumas. This wasn’t like any Akuma she’d ever seen before.</p><p>“I’m not here to hurt you.”</p><p>“Like you weren’t here to hurt Ladybug?” She snapped.</p><p>“So you <em>do</em> have a way to contact her.” The buzzing grew slightly louder.</p><p><em>Oh no.</em> “If you try and take me hostage, Ladybug and Chat Noir—”</p><p>“I’m not. You’re all safe. Your sisters are asleep, and your mother and father are watching TV. I won’t hurt any of them. I simply want to pass a message. Set up a meeting.”</p><p>“So Hawkmoth can set a trap?” Alya said, shivering. It knew where her parents were. Where her sisters were. Had that been a threat? What if she said no?</p><p>“No. I am not an Akuma. I’m from somewhere else. But I’d like to apologize to Ladybug. She caught me by surprise. We may have a common enemy—but I need to talk to her. Before things escalate.”</p><p>“What if I don’t?”</p><p>“Then I’ll have to contact her some other way. Things might go wrong. People could get hurt or killed. I wouldn’t want that.”</p><p>Alya felt herself get colder. Akuma’s ranted. Akuma’s raved. But this… Thing wasn’t. It was talking like they were discussing the weather. And it wouldn’t “want” to hurt or kill people. But it didn’t say it wouldn’t, and suddenly Alya had a terrible feeling that it <em>had</em> killed. That it <em>would</em> kill.</p><p>“How could I tell you if I did get in touch.”</p><p>“Put a message up for Lustrum about the meeting on your comment section. I’ll leave a burner phone at a public place for them to pick up. No face to face. No worries about betrayal.”</p><p>“I—I’ll tell them, but nothing else.” Alya said. She bit her lip, fighting the tremble in her voice. “Now get out of my house!”</p><p>“Very well.” And then the form dissolved, streams of bugs flying out her window, into the vents. Alya stayed in bed, shivering, until she was certain it was gone. Then she was leaping out, running to her computer, frantically booting it up and sending an emergency message to Ladybug.</p><p> </p><hr/><p>On the other side of the street, I watched through a cluster of bugs hiding in the vent. Alya evidently thought that I had left when my body had. Soon I had her password, and watched as she sent a message to Ladybug’s private email. It was in French, but that’s what Google translate was for.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Ladybug! The crazy akuma that almost killed you was in my house, only I don’t think it’s an akuma. It wants to meet you, but I don’t trust it. Maybe Nino and I could get our tools and come for backup?</b>
</p><p> </p><p>There was no answer, which indicated that Ladybug didn’t have a big organization with her. But even more interesting…</p><p>They had a number of parahumans, but two, Rena Rouge and Carapace had appeared after Queen Bee—or Chloe. Alya was associated, and asked if she could come for back up, after she got something.</p><p>And parahumans needed their miraculouses.</p><p>So. Now, as soon as I found out who Nino was, I’d probably know the civilian identities of Rena Rouge and Carapace.</p><p>Good.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Meeting An Unnerving Tourist</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Skitter and the kids talk!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alya was trembling when Ladybug and Chat landed by the park she’d told them to meet her at. The message had been short, and Ladybug had headed out—after one quick stop.</p><p>“Alya,” she said. “How are you?” Next to her, Chat was looking around the dark park. Alya looked at Marinette and she knew that she was noticing the goggles and filter masks they now both had around their necks.</p><p><em>I know,</em> Marinette thought. She knew this park, the park with the butterflies, and sometimes the wasps going after sweets. It was a good place to meet after dark, because there were no people around to hear.</p><p>But there were insects.</p><p>Marinette wondered if there was another horde of insects watching them. Waiting. She could still feel how they’d flooded her throat, the stings, the lack of air. Until this was over, she wasn’t about to put down the mask and goggles, however awkward they could be. She didn’t want to remember being smothered and stung to death <em>again.</em></p><p>The Miraculous Cure fixed many things, but not memory—at least not for its holder.</p><p>“I’m so grounded if Mom finds out,” Alya said. “But when you responded I had to tell you.” She quickly explained about the creature, the thing that came into her room. “Ladybug, my parents were there, my sisters—what if it…”</p><p>Marinette had never seen Alya shaken up like this, not even when she’d been about to be sacrificed by an Akuma.</p><p>But there was something… <em>Dangerous</em> about this new intruder.</p><p>“It’s okay,” Marinette said. “Can you tell us everything?”</p><p>Alya did. “I don’t think it knows French. It spoke to me in English. I think... I think it may have been watching me for a while.”</p><p>“Then how are we going to talk…” Chat asked.</p><p>“Maybe they have friends?” Alya asked.</p><p>“Maybe,” Marinette frowned. “Alya.” She reached into her pocket and took out a small box. “Here is the Fox Miraculous.”</p><p>“I—”</p><p>“I may not have time to give it to you.” Then she reached into a pouch and pulled out a filter mask and pair of goggles. “And if you confront this being again, put these on before you do <em>anything,</em> even call your Kwami.”</p><p>“I… Thank you.” Trix appeared and briefly nuzzled Alya’s cheek. Alya took a deep breath. “Sorry, it’s just that—”</p><p>“We’re not used to being attacked in our homes,” Chat said. “But at least she wants to talk.”</p><p>“If the girl in the alley was the thing creating these bug swarms,” Marinette said. “They could be working together.”</p><p>“That’s not a nice thought,” Alya said.</p><p>“No. But we’re going to talk to this person-tomorrow. Send the message as soon as you can. I want you, Chloe, and Carapace to be backup.” Marinette frowned. “If she—or one of her friends—can make bugs and hear through them… Don’t say any secrets after this. Not even if you’re alone. If you have to tell them to me, write them down and then tear the note up.”</p><p>“Okay, Ladybug,” Alya said. “I’ll be ready—I’ll have to cancel my date, but if Mom catches me, you’ll have to break me out of house arrest.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>“Should we patrol some more?” Chat asked.</p><p>Marinette shook her head. “No. This… She isn’t acting like an Akuma. I think she’s telling the truth and that she really isn’t working with Hawkmoth. Let’s talk to her first.”</p><p>“And if it’s a trap?”</p><p>Marinette smiled and fingered the filter mask. “Her trick won’t work <em>twice.”</em> But underneath her smile, a little voice was asking a simple question.</p><p>
  <em>How many more tricks does she have?</em>
</p><p>Later that night, Marinette looked around her room. Her filter mask was actually in her hand, under the pillow, Tikki floating by her.</p><p>“I…” Marinette frowned. “I don’t like this?”</p><p>“You’ll win, Marinette, you know that.”</p><p>“I know, but it’s not like most Akuma. They’re loud. You see them coming… But how many insects are there around here?” The room was dark, but was that just a reflection from a car, or a swirl of gnats in the corner? The hum from the transformers sounded louder than normal—or was it something else? Marinette looked around. “Tikki, have you ever heard of powers like this?”</p><p>“There are other sorceries, though the ages, but… nothing like this, no.” The Kwami looked pensive. “You’re right to be cautious.”</p><p>“Thanks,” Marinette said. “Get some sleep.” She paused, frowned and then reached under her pillow, pulling the mask out. It’d be uncomfortable, but it beat being smothered in her sleep. In her own room.</p><p>No. This being was <em>far</em> different than Hawkmoth’s usual akumas.</p><hr/><p>I was waiting for Ladybug and her friends. They had sent me their message, and we had arranged a contact point. I’d webbed the burner phone to the bottom of a bench in a park, while I ate breakfast two blocks away.</p><p>Close enough to observe the site, far enough that they probably wouldn’t be able to ambush me.</p><p>I’d also learned that neither Ladybug nor Chat Noir spoke English that well. Rena Rouge was fairly fluent, as was Queen Bee. I hadn’t been able to find out any information about Carapace.</p><p>I’d solved that. I had three burner phones with my bugs in position to type in queries to Google translate. Hopefully it’d work.</p><p>Especially since we’d be using texts. I didn’t <em>know</em> if any of them were thinkers, but text would cut out a lot of information a thinker would let them use. Hopefully they didn’t have access to a precog, but none of their public missions had shown any sign of that.</p><p>Midway through the first course, the people in the square started pointing and taking photos. My bugs let me see Rena Rouge, Queen Bee and Carapace. Queen Bee was standing up, showing off to the crowd, while the others were hanging back, looking over the sides of buildings.</p><p>And they were all wearing masks and goggles. If it came to a fight I’d have to go for their ears, or burrow under their goggles and go for their eyes.</p><p>But that would take time.</p><p>They were smart. For a moment, I wondered how they’d do as a gang in the Bay. But then, as if they’d been signaled, Ladybug and Chat Noir came swinging down into the square, running to the bench I’d listed. They grabbed the phone and…</p><p><em>Kept going?</em> Now the others were running with them, jumping from building to building. They were fast.</p><p>I wasn’t going to be able to keep up with my bugs and they were leaving my range. Did they know?</p><p>I paused, a biscuit halfway to my mouth, then shook my head. No. They probably just assumed that wherever I put my phone was my ground. And then, through my bugs, I saw where they were going.</p><p>Oh.</p><p>
  <b>Oh.</b>
</p><p>The Eiffel Tower. That was <em>smart.</em> There were skyscrapers in Paris, not as many as an American city, but they had them.</p><p>But skyscrapers had vents, office plants, food dropped into odd places. They had insects.</p><p>But the tower? It was mostly an open frame, little in the way of food, little in the way of places to nest.</p><p>There were insects, but not many and if I gathered a swarm, they’d see it coming. Ladybug and her friends had neutralized one of my biggest advantages.</p><p>I watched via a swarm at the edge of my range as they got to the tower, jumping up its sides like they’d been doing that all their lives. A close team. I’d only seen a few groups that worked with that kind of easy familiarity. I wondered if they were as close in their civilian lives.</p><p>And then, my phone buzzed. I’d left a note taped to the other one, telling them text only.</p><p>It was nice to see they respected boundaries.</p><p>
  <b>Hello. This is Rena Rouge. I'm the most fluent English-speaker. I can translate for you, if you don’t speak French. </b>
</p><p>I paused. Evidently someone else had noticed me going for the English speaking route. Lying would be obvious so…</p><p>
  <b>Yes. Please be exact.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>What should we call you?</b>
</p><p>I paused for a moment. But only for a moment, because I hardly used Taylor any more. Not for important things. And this was about as important as it got.</p><p>
  <b>You can call me Skitter.</b>
</p><hr/><p>The wind was cold at the top of the tower, but Marinette kept her attention on Rena. The others were looking around, alert for any swarm. Carapace and Queen Bee kept their masks on. Marinette had established that rule. When they were dealing with… Skitter, someone <em>always</em> had a mask on.</p><p>Marinette had spent the last few hours researching pesticides. Unfortunately, the kind they could get couldn’t kill bugs fast enough and the kind that <em>did</em> kill bugs instantly had some unfortunate side-effects on humans, in addition to being illegal. But now she was typing, Rena giving them the translation, and typing what Marinette told her to type.</p><p><b>I’m sorry I hurt you. You surprised me. Are you okay? </b>Skitter typed.</p><p>
  <b>Yes. We thought you were an Akuma. Mistake. Why did you threaten Alya?</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Didn’t. Didn’t want to show in person, so used bug clone. Wanted to talk. Not fight. </b>
</p><p><b>Where are you from? </b>Marinette had never heard of someone like her, and she wasn’t an Akuma. Chat put his hand on her shoulder.</p><p>“Are you certain that’s a good question, Bugaboo?”</p><p>“We need to know.”</p><p>
  <b>Not from around here. Far away. Complicated story.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Too complicated for phone. </b>
</p><p>Marinette paused at that. Skitter wanted a meeting.</p><p>“If we go to a meeting, she could trap us.” Carapace said.</p><p>“All of us? As if!” Chloe commented, fanning herself.</p><p>“She almost <em>killed</em> Ladybug,” Rena said, glaring at Chloe.</p><p>“Only because she caught her by surprise—”</p><p>“Everyone, wait. She hasn’t done anything else, and if she is from somewhere else, she might be afraid. She doesn’t even speak French and she’s in <em>Paris.”</em> Marinette paused, nodded, and turned to Rena.</p><p>
  <b>Can talk, but not in civilian ID. Those have to stay hidden.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>I can unmask.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>No. Hawkmoth. If someone knows he can learn from them. Akuma. </b>
</p><p>… <b>You don’t know who he is. I can help. Can find. Can help deal with him. But agreed. Masks on, for now. </b></p><p>
  <b>Where do you want to meet?</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Your city, not mine. I can’t fly or teleport. </b>
</p><p>“Just call up Biblical plagues,” Chat muttered.</p><p>
  <b>There’s a school. Collège Françoise Dupont. It’s empty today. We can meet there.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>I’ll be there. When?</b>
</p><p>
  <b>2:30.</b>
</p><p><b>Good. I’ll see you than.</b> There was nothing else from Skitter.</p><p>“Ladybug…” Carapace said. “Why the <em>school?</em>”</p><p>“Nobody will be there, and of us all, at least two are students,” Marinette told him. “So it’s familiar ground. And it’s easy to get in and out of, so she won’t think it’s a trap.”</p><p>“What about us?”</p><p>“I’ll go first,” Marinette said. “The rest of you can come in when I signal.”</p><p>“You’re our leader!” Carapace said. “We can’t—”</p><p>“Exactly. If I say away she may think that <em>we’re</em> planning something.” Marinette sighed. “And I can always run away.” Nobody seemed to like the idea, but nobody protested.</p><hr/><p>I finished the meal. I’d have several hours to kill, so I could scope out the school while also doing some sightseeing. I could have demanded another meeting, but if we had to do it in costume, there were only so many places, and it was <em>their</em> city. At the end of the day, I had to hope this wasn’t a prelude to an attack.</p><p>And in any case, there were sewers running throughout the city. On my stroll, I’d gather enough insects to punish any attempt to take me down. And I’d found some nice leads regarding the city’s criminal underground, so there were some offices I wanted to check on the way there. Co-opting the local gangs was a good way to gather resources and information, after all.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>They have a talk. It beats bugs.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Collège Françoise Dupont was empty when Marinette walked up to it and unlocked the front door. Or rather, <em>Ladybug</em> unlocked the front door. Her yo-yo could turn into many things—one of them a key that so far had opened every door she tried it on.</p>
<p>She supposed it was a sign of how much Paris trusted her that nobody remarked at her walking into an empty building.</p>
<p><em>I wonder if I’ll have to…</em> Marinette looked up and saw a cluster of moths in one corner, their faceted eyes tracking her. <em>I guess she’s here</em>.</p>
<p>And she was. Skitter was sitting in the middle of the courtyard, her yellow goggles staring at Marinette.</p>
<p>“I thought it would be better for us to talk here. More room.” The voice was muffled but female. And she was speaking French. Really, really bad French.</p>
<p><em>And so you can use your bugs.</em> Marinette had an uncomfortable feeling, phantom pain reminding her of the swarm that had pushed its way into her mouth and nose, biting, stinging...</p>
<p>“That’s fine,” she said in careful English, noting that Skitter had another chair set up. Marinette strolled up to it and sat down. “So, why are you here and where are you from?”</p>
<hr/>
<p>I looked at the person I’d almost killed. Setting up the chair had been a calculated move. I figured that this was their home ground, so before the meeting, I’d done everything I could to make it <em>mine</em>. My bugs were working with Google translate, and I was listening to the words, trying to get the pronunciation right. No doubt she expected me to ask for a translator. She might be able to speak English, but I doubted she was fluent in it.</p>
<p>Hopefully, that would knock her off her game. She was the only one in the school, but I was certain her allies were somewhere close by. Her respirator and goggles are around her neck. A sign of trust.</p>
<p>I couldn’t blame them. They knew I was deadly and I had been the first one to attack, after all.</p>
<p>And so I’d start with the truth.</p>
<p>“I’m from a place called Earth Bet. Have you ever heard of the idea of alternate worlds?” She understood my French evidently, even if she did wince at some of the words.</p>
<p>“I—” She stared at me. “You mean like where the Nazi’s won?” her French was much better, even if she was speaking slowly.</p>
<p>“Yes. In my world parahumans, people like me, started to appear in the 1980s.”</p>
<p>Her eyes widened. “Like comics?” she said, and I heard what sounded like the start of a squeal.</p>
<p>It was unlike her businesslike nature, and for a moment I felt bad about quashing it.</p>
<p>“No. Becoming a parahuman…” I didn’t want to bring up trigger events, given what it would say about me. “Can be a difficult process and many are criminals. You talked about the Nazis—my home town had a gang, the Empire 88, that were made up of Nazis, but enough were parahuman that the authorities couldn’t shut them down. I helped protect people from them.” Not exactly the whole truth, but I needed her on my side.</p>
<p>“That’s… that’s why your costume is the way it is. Because you have to stay hidden.”</p>
<p>“Right. But I need to get back. I was sent here during a battle and there are… Other things.”</p>
<p>Suddenly her eyes narrow. “Such as what?”</p>
<p>“The end of the world,” I told her. “One of our precogs has predicted that a… man will trigger the end of the world in the near future. Billions die, unless we stop him.” Her eyes went wide.</p>
<p>“I… don’t know how to get you back.” She looked from side to side. “Our miraculouses don’t do that.”</p>
<p>“What about Hawkmoth?” I turned one hand palm up. “He has a miraculous that has empowered people with everything from simple strength to incredible Trump abilities.”</p>
<p>“He won’t help you. He’s a monster!” Ladybug burst out.</p>
<p><em>No. He isn’t.</em> I didn’t know what he was, but all I had to do was imagine Jack Slash with his power to understand how fortunate everyone was.</p>
<p>“And so we’ll take his miraculous,” I told her. “But it empowers people—and it might be able to get me home, given what it’s been proven to do with time. Hopefully that power can also send me back to my home.”</p>
<p>“We’ll,” Ladybug said. “You want to help us?”</p>
<p>“My power may not be as powerful as some, but it’s good for recon and I have some experience with villains. I know how they think. If I can find him, we can attack him on his ground. Right now, you have to wait for <em>him</em> to make a move. That means he can keep attacking you and he only has to win once.”</p>
<p>I saw in her eyes that she already knew that and didn’t like it.</p>
<p>“I can’t tell you who we are—”</p>
<p>“I understand. We had problems like Hawkmoth back home, and keeping identities secret is part of common master-stranger protocols.”</p>
<p>“But if you’re lying…”</p>
<p>I didn’t say anything for a moment, then reached into a pocket. Ladybug tenses. I pulled out a USB stick.</p>
<p>“We don’t know why, but alternate worlds are often compatible. Your world, Earth Aleph, and Earth Bet all have compatible file systems.” I <em>didn’t</em> know why, but it was helpful. “I keep files on my phone, they include videos. Those should help you decide if I’m telling the truth. It would be hard for me to fake all of this.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Marinette stared at the stick, then took it. There was something about Skitter—<em>Skittering</em>. That’s when she realized it. The girl didn’t move like normal people. She was too controlled.</p>
<p>
  <em>Maybe it has something to do with her bugs?</em>
</p>
<p>“And if we take down Hawkmoth?” She asked. “What if we <em>can’t</em> use his power. Or we can’t use it safely?” <em>Master Fu never talked about this. I’ll have to ask him.</em></p>
<p>“Then I’ll have to make a home here. I won’t endanger you.” Skitter tilted her head at that, but some of the insects started spinning around, buzzing sounds filling the air.</p>
<p>“Do you have a place to live?”</p>
<p>“Yes. It wasn’t hard to obtain money. The city doesn’t have many muggers, but they’re easy to find. I may deal with some drug dealers as well. Money is easy.”</p>
<p>Marinette figured that a vigilante or hero against darkness would be shouting, angry at what people did. She and Chat had talked about patrols and stopping regular crime, but the danger of being caught out when an Akuma showed up was too great. But this person… She was talking about it like her parents talked about the weather.</p>
<p>“Should we keep using the phone?”</p>
<p>“I’ve made a throwaway email account. Only use the the phone in an emergency. They’re easier to track.” A pause. “And me writing French won’t make you wince as much as me <em>speaking</em> it.”</p>
<p>Marinette blushed. She hadn’t been wincing. Well, not that much. But… <em>Why would a hero worry about being tracked… </em>Marinette frowned. “Okay. I’ll talk to my friends and we will get back in touch with you. I they agree, I think we can all work together to bring down Hawkmoth.”</p>
<p><em>Over two years. </em>Part of her wondered if she should feel bad that this stranger was so confident. But then, she could do things they couldn’t. Walk by homes and see who was in them. Depending on how big her range was, she could search the entire city.</p>
<p>And when they found Hawkmoth, this would all be <em>over.</em> Marinette stuck her hand out, and after a moment, Skitter reciprocated. There was something unnerving about her gloved hand, the buzzing of the insects, the way she <em>looked </em>at Marinette.</p>
<p>Marinette hoped this wasn’t going to be a mistake.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Meeting Earth Bet</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Taylor gave Marinette a USB!  Isn't that nice? Now Marinette can learn all about Earth Bet!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The smell of vomit filled the room as Master Fu handed Marinette a glass of water.</p><p>“That’s…” She blinked some tears out of her eyes, washed her mouth, and then spit it out into to the trashcan. “Why would anyone even <em>have that?”</em></p><p>Marinette had decided that she and Chat Noir would review the information with Master Fu. Alya, Chloe and Nico had never met the Guardian and she wanted to keep it that way.</p><p>If Skitter was tracking them… Well that had been the first thing she’d warned Master Fu about.</p><p>And then they’d tried the USB in an old laptop Master Fu had, one without a Wifi connection.</p><p>Alya would be angry. Marinette resolved to only give her the short form of this. Nobody else needed to see this horror.</p><p>
  <em>Slaughterhouse Nine</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Behemoth</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Leviathan</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Simurgh</em>
</p><p>There were more files, most of them like their wikipedia, talking of entire cities destroyed, entire regions <em>twisted</em> so badly that all the authorities could do was wall them off and shoot anyone who tried to leave. Japan had been shattered, robot <em>armies</em> existed…</p><p>It was a world with superheroes.</p><p>Only, unlike the comics, they <em>weren’t</em> winning.</p><p>Skitter had been researching the Slaughterhouse Nine, so there was more information about them.</p><p>More information than Marinette ever wanted to see again.</p><p>Skitter had left notes.</p><p>
  <em>D. Predicts end of world in up to three years if Jack lives. Longer if he dies. Maybe as long as 300—but still happens. Jack catalyst, not source. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Happens Fast. Not Endbringers? Something worse? 33-93 percent of humanity dies. </em>
</p><p>There were files on the Nine, former members, movements, actions, what they might do in the future.</p><p>The words were bad enough. Marinette had made the mistake of clicking on one of the video files.</p><p>
  <em>3/25: Eisenhower Jr. High, Bonesaw, Siberian, Jack. </em>
</p><p>Master Fu had closed the window after the first horrifying ten seconds but it hadn’t been fast enough for her stomach.</p><p>There were more video files of the Nine. Marinette didn’t touch any of them. The Endbringer images were bad enough, including the before and after pictures of Skitter’s home, Brockton Bay.</p><p>According to the notes, that had been a <em>good</em> day.</p><p>“So, she’s a hero,” Chat Noir said, his voice faint.</p><p>“Or she believes so,” Master Fu replied. He looked troubled.</p><p>“Someone who fights <em>that</em> isn’t a hero?” Marinette asked.</p><p>“Are drug dealers heroes? Muggers?” Master Fu replied. “And yet they will help you, Ladybug, Chat Noir in the face of the greater threat.” He gestured at the image on the screen, a twisted angel hovering over a city, chunks of skyscrapers orbiting her. “Those abominations, from the Endbringers to this… Nine, would be the enemy of most, be they heroic or otherwise. That is why they have the… Truce, as they call it.”</p><p>“You’re saying—” Chat Noir fell silent at Master Fu’s raised hand.</p><p>“I am saying that this world is likely far more gray than our world is, <em>especially</em> the world of Paris in which you grew up. In a world without the miraculous cure, where sometimes victory appears to be saving <em>some</em> of a city rather than losing it all, even the brightest hero may be forced to make… The kind of choices you have been spared from. Skitter may be a villain who nonetheless has loved ones she does not wish to see die. She may be a hero who will be willing to do anything to protect the world, but make no mistake, you may—” Master Fu fell silent, then nodded. “Or rather, Chat Noir, Ladybug, if you lived in that world, and came here, how far would <em>you</em> go to gain the power to protect your family from the likes of the Nine and Endbringers. From the literal end of the world?”</p><p>Marinette was silent. She imagined her school with that… her stomach twisted and she banished the image of what Bonesaw and Siberian had <em>done.</em></p><p>“When I met her… She didn’t attack me to knock me out, she tried to kill me,” Marinette finally said. “She went right to that. She stopped but…”</p><p>“But it was pretty brutal.” Chat Noir nodded. “But if we can—if the butterfly Miraculous can <em>help</em> her…” He gestured to the screen, his hand trembling only a little bit. “How could we ever <em>sleep</em> again if we didn’t do anything about <em>that?”</em></p><p>“We will try. I will consult with Wyazz, and once we have the butterfly in our possession, we may attempt to aid them. But this is another universe. Our magic may not work there, though the fact that her powers work here…” Fu shook his head. “We must learn, but I caution you, be careful. Skitter may not be as patient.”</p><p>“Yes Master Fu.” Marinette nodded.</p><p>“And it is of course fortunate that only one acting by his <em>free</em> will can open the Miraculous case.” Fu said.</p><p><em>That’s for any listening bugs</em>, Marinette realized. Mr. Fu had nodded to her, writing something on a pad. Then he displayed it to her, hands over it so that it was shielded some any other viewers.</p><p>
  <em>Ladybug. Skitter has not seen the dragon. Give her the miraculous and explain the situation to her. You may need an ally that Skitter has not seen yet. I will give it to you before you leave.</em>
</p><p>Marinette nodded. She would. And hopefully tonight she wouldn’t dream of her parents, Adrien, timid Rose, or Juleka dying—or worse—at the hands of the monsters that lived in Skitter’s world.</p><p><em>What would I do to protect my friends and family from that?</em> She understood Master Fu’s warning as the answer came back. The same answer that she bet Skitter had.</p><p>
  <em>I would do </em>
  <em>
    <b>anything.</b>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
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